Rejected for being a Dalit, woman sets herself afire

A 24-year-old woman here on Sunday set herself on fire after her boyfriend refused to marry her because she belonged to a Dalit family.

The woman's suffered 30% burns and her condition was said to be stable on Monday. The Jamalpur police have now booked the accused, New Company Bagh resident Lovely, under Section 417 (punishment for cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the SC/ST Act for making objectionable remarks on a caste, following a complaint by the woman's mother, Nirmla.

Lovely is at large and the police have launched a manhunt to arrest him. The police said the woman, Pinki, and Lovely had been in a relationship for a year now. The couple had run away from home 20 days ago, but returned 14 days latter. After this, the families of the two decided to solemnise their marriage.

Nirmla alleged that the accused called her daughter and refused to marry her. He also made derogatory remarks about her caste.